Aquarium in Bray

elvis jones

Have you being and what is it like???

fred funk }{

It's been a few years since I was there. Nothing to get excited about and it's a short journey around. It is interesting, especially if you have an interest in fish etc. but don't expect it to be blown away.

Dr Strange

I found the prices a bit steep to be honest. My wife and I walked in and thought it would be nice to have a look at it and wouldn't have had a problem with a reasonable price but when we saw the entrance fee for adults (I think it was around 12 Euro pp) we walked out again.

I just checked their website and you can save a good bit if you get your ticket online: http://www.visitsealife.com/Bray/buy-tickets.aspx

Its' then down to 8.50 pp for adults. It's a pity though as you cannot really decide to go and have a look on a whim.

flutterflye

Expensive anti-climax

Cookie_Monster

you'd only spend an hour and a half to two hours there max, it's interesting enough but falls well short of other aquaria around the world, or even compared to Galway

Worth doing once IMO

dammitjanet

Basic enough but kids enjoy it. If you shop in dunnes you can normally get money off vouchers on the back of your reciept for it

daheff

Went there at the weekend


have to say i was massively dissappointed. Brought the family out for a day out.....had buggy with us too (as one child is too small to walk). Found it to be very expensive (12.5 per adult). Inside was extremely dark (and dont tell me thats for the fish...all their displays were lit up.

there was very little signage on the displays telling what fish were in each (or if there were signs, we couldnt see them in the dark )

Added to this, once we got to the end of the exhibits we were faced with a rather steep stairs (which we couldnt carry a buggy up), and had to fight our way back through the crowds to get back to the entrance to leave.

a definite dissappointment

Judgement Day

Sadly this isn't the first such report on the Aquarium. I took a look in the entrance foyer a couple of years ago and decided not to bring my children in. Too dear, a bit manky and I can't get it out of my head that the building was once a toilet block - or was it totally demolished and rebuilt.

RosieJoe

Was never too sure if I should give it ago, always verged on the Probably not Great side of the fence. Now I know not to bother with it at all.

Macy0161

It's not bad, but I'd question it for value for money at full price (I think when we went both the children were young enough that they were little or no money). I wouldn't pay €12.50, but if you had some kind of reduction it would be ok.

btw, I assume the low light levels are to reduce reflections and so that you can see the fish/ creatures in the tanks, rather than being for the benefit of them.

daheff

Macy0161 wrote: »

btw, I assume the low light levels are to reduce reflections and so that you can see the fish/ creatures in the tanks, rather than being for the benefit of them.

that was the first thing that entered my mind when I saw it was dark...but I;ve been to other aquaria (Baltimore, Lisbon & Sydney) and all had good levels of lighting...maybe not bright daylight...but not so dark that you'd have trouble seeing the time on a digital watch!

but maybe that is their reasoning

Cianos

I've been loads of times and thought it was great craic, but probably because that was after hours with a few cans when a mate worked there at the time

xper

Judgement Day wrote: »

I can't get it out of my head that the building was once a toilet block - or was it totally demolished and rebuilt.

The current building was a completely new build which must have been in the '90's sometime, IIRC. The old, extremely run-down, public baths structure that was previously on the site was demolished to make way for it. However, the current building does have public toilets accessed from the seaward side!

The aquarium is a bit on the small side. Its certainly not a 'day-out' attraction by itself. Dublin Zoo would be much better value (for a similar attraction). At least it is merely a branch of Sea-Life now, it was a bit of an embarrasment when it was first opened labelled as "The National Aquarium". It just never warranted that.

I always found it amusing that they opened a seafood reatuarant directly above the aquarium. "I'll have that one, please." Is the restaurant premises in business at the moment? Used to be called Baracuda but I think that one eventually bit the dust.

Would I be showing my age if I said I can just barely remember from trips to the seafront as a nipper, the sealed-off, rusting remains of s mini-Brighton-style pier that used to stick out into the sea at that location?

Dr Strange

xper wrote: »

...Is the restaurant premises in business at the moment? Used to be called Baracuda but I think that one eventually bit the dust..

There's a new one called The Beach House

http://www.beachhousebray.com/

Actually, the food I had there (twice so far) was really good and the views fantastic.

Judgement Day

xper wrote: »

The current building was a completely new build which must have been in the '90's sometime, IIRC. The old, extremely run-down, public baths structure that was previously on the site was demolished to make way for it. However, the current building does have public toilets accessed from the seaward side!

The aquarium is a bit on the small side. Its certainly not a 'day-out' attraction by itself. Dublin Zoo would be much better value (for a similar attraction). At least it is merely a branch of Sea-Life now, it was a bit of an embarrasment when it was first opened labelled as "The National Aquarium". It just never warranted that.

I always found it amusing that they opened a seafood reatuarant directly above the aquarium. "I'll have that one, please." Is the restaurant premises in business at the moment? Used to be called Baracuda but I think that one eventually bit the dust.

Would I be showing my age if I said I can just barely remember from trips to the seafront as a nipper, the sealed-off, rusting remains of s mini-Brighton-style pier that used to stick out into the sea at that location?

Would I be showing my age if I admitted remembering the seafront before the 'Brighton Pier' was built. Every winter the sea used to smash it to bits and every year the council would repair it in time for the next winter. The aquarium must be built in exactly the same footprint as the earlier toilets and cafe - and that's where my confusion lies. We used to play a great game down there during stormy weather at high tide, which involved running from one end of the building to the other (on the seaward side) between waves breaking. Many a good soaking was had but we were easily pleased back then and you tell young people today.....:D

xper

Judgement Day wrote: »

Would I be showing my age if I admitted remembering the seafront before the 'Brighton Pier' was built.

Yes. Yes, you would.:p

My curiousity is provoked but google failed to turn up a picture of the thing. I was just a kid so my recollection may be of a grander structure than actually existed in reality. Was there a kiosk at the end of some sort or was it just a deck on stilts?

Judgement Day

I googled for a pic too but no joy. No kiosk at the end but just a long rectangular pier with timber deck. The sea end was popular with kids for crab fishing! I don't think that they ever installed coin operated telescopes out there but they had at least two sets on the promenade. Are you old enough to remember when there was timber on the seats on the promenade and cast iron seat backs? Or pedal boats for hire at the Bray Head end of the prom? Or the Guinness clock?

The clock was based on one made for the Festival of Britain and several were made which then toured resorts throughout the British Isles. Sadly some bright spark in Guinnesses had them all scrapped years ago.

xper

I remember the original seating alright. I remember a ride or two in the peddle boats, too. Also just about remember the chair lift up the side of Bray Head in operation - that must have ended in the mid-70's. Guinness clock, though? That's a new one on me! Festival of Britain was well before my time.

Judgement Day

The Festival of Britain (1951) was well before my time too! However, several copies were made of the original clock and these toured various seaside resorts (and St.Stephen's Green I think) well into the mid-1960s. I was on the late lamented chairlift many times and back then there was still a cafe at the Eagles Nest.

kildarecommuter

My father used to talk about the chairlift in Bray when did it close, get taken down etc?

Judgement Day

kildarecommuter wrote: »

My father used to talk about the chairlift in Bray when did it close, get taken down etc?

Fell into disuse in the early 1970s and literally fell apart where it stood.

Another Flickr link here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/88051129@N00/5070115114/in/photostream/

And eventually the mother lode of sorts - a thorough piece on the Bray Chair Lift by a German group. Translate the page into English and then click on the photo links. http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=39559

Judgement Day

Sorry to resurrect this old thread but at last I have something positive to say about Bray! My 9 and 10 year old sons were brought to "Sea-Life" (the former National Aquarium) over the Easter weekend and had a Whale of a time - sorry couldn't resist.

Best day out they had had in ages according to her who must still be obeyed.